20 October 2011 12:37 PM

St Paul's is not immune to capitalist influences

A week is a long time in cathedral politics. Last Saturday the left-wing sympathising cathedral authorities welcomed the anti-capitalist demonstrators camped outside to come into St Paul’s and Canon Dr Giles Fraser asked the police to 'move on.' Ah but this was all before the Canons recalled that the cathedral itself is not immune against capitalist influences. They charge £14.50 for visitors to enter and look around. A nice little earner. But visitor numbers have halved since the demonstrators set up their tents. And takings at the cathedral shop have diminished. So the socialist canons, faced with the choice between maintaining their impeccable and oft-stated left wing principles and losing money, obviously found there was no alternative but to ditch the principles.

St Paul’s is hugely privileged – some might say a micro-capitalist enterprise of its own. Whereas all the ordinary parish churches in England are taxed exorbitantly by diocesan authorities through what is variously known as the Diocesan Quota or the Common Fund, so far as I can discover St Paul’s pays nothing. My two City churches, by contrast, between them pay £75,000pa though this tax. And the demand rises every year. This is a burden borne by the congregation, many of whom give sacrificially to ensure their parish church can stay open. Vicars are constantly browbeaten by diocesan authorities and threatened with dire consequences if the Quota is not paid.

The cathedral Canons are under no such strictures. They are thus privileged. For example, St Paul’s employs a huge staff. It has been able to clean and restore the stonework at a cost of £40million. And if the enjoyment of privilege is something that is bought by cash, then the cathedral is part of the capitalist system. No wonder they have asked the anti-capitalist protesters to move on.